I spent the morning with naked plus size women and then was accompanied by police. As appealing as that first sentence sounds the truth is I was in museums as those events occurred. I wandered the galleries of Colombia´s most well-known artist Fernando Botero after having a cup of coffee at one of the Juan Valdez franchises. Botero´s work typically involves a unique rounded style that stands in stark contrast to the American ideal. My American mind found his work intriguing but difficult to approach. I couldn´t help but feel something was off in every work.
The police who accompanied me were actually tour guides at the Museo de Policia. A museum dedicated to law enforcement isn´t usually a must-see when travelling but there is a special gallery that caught my attention. The entire bottom floor is dedicated to the 400+ day man-hunt for Pablo Escobar. Some of his personal items along with the jacket he last wore were on display.
In the afternoon I got purposely-lost (not an oxymoron for me) among the Christmas shopping crowds. If you have ever complained about the madness that ensues at local malls then you must reevaluate. People, products, animals, and buses clog the entire length of Carretera Diez here in Bogota. If a local policeman hadn´t told me it was a dangerous area I might have continued among the crowds. Oh, and although I was hungry I didnt partake in the local fare pictured here; whole roasted pig served New York hot dog style on the street corner.Some reading and a walk through the Christmas lit Plaza de Bolivar finished the evening.
4 comments:
The blog is back! Looking forward to hearing about all of your travels. Come back with one of those naked, plus size women for me :)
Hope to see you in New York soon.
Was that a vegetarian pig?!
Traveling broke borderlines among many social roles, like you are student, you are professor, you are cooker, you are soldier, you are doctor, etc. so both of your body and mind could keep jumping from art museum to most violent criminal story, and then moved to the whole roasted pig on the street corner. What a romantic experience!
I had coffee at a Juan Valdez in Cartagena. They have a branch in NYC now, but my sister still gets me Colombian coffee while on her trips to visit the inlaws in Barranquilla. It will be great reading about your adventure this time in land I am also familiar with. Well, with some of it!
that's almost a kefiya that you're wearing in that picture. I'LL TAKE IT! (whether intentional or not- i like to think your supporting the Palestinian cause while in Colombia)- i still promise to get you one from Palestine.. i've been wearing mine a lot.. probably gunna head to the protests in dallas wearing it... would you join me if you were here?
-ali(do i even have to specify which one this is ;-) good luck-- stay true to the peeps while your there
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